Honest Fees

Information is power and can save you money

The only cases I work on are bankruptcy cases. I feel a great calling to help people who are struggling financial, and to make quality representation affordable.

The cost of filing is made up of 4 fees: the court filing fee, the credit counseling fee, the debtor education fee, and the attorney fee.

At first the cost of filing bankruptcy may look too expensive. But don't worry if you need to file bankruptcy there is a way you can afford it.

3rd Party Fees (Not set by Attorney)

The court filing fee is different for chapter 7 and chapter 13. For chapter 7, the fee is $335.00. For chapter 13, the filing fee is $310.00. You would only have one filing fee.

The credit counseling course is $25.00. This class must be completed before the case is filed.

The post-filing debtor education course is $35.00. This class is taken after the case has been filed.

Attorney Fees

For chapter 7 the fee has to be paid in full before the case can be filed. However, it does not have to be paid all at once. Most people choose to make affordably payments. The total attorney fee for chapter 7 is $800.00.Discounts are available for anyone who earns less than $2,000 per month*.

For chapter 13, part of the fee is paid before the case is filed. However, most of the fee is paid as part of the chapter 13 plan payments, so it is spread out over the life of the plan. The pre-filing part of the fee is $500.00. The part paid in the plan is $1,500.00 which works out to be $25.00 per month.

Waviers, Discounts, & Payment Options

Court Fee Options

The court fee can be waived if your household income is below 150% of the poverty level for a family of your size AND you are unable to pay the fee in installments.

The court fees can be split into 4 payments as long as the total is paid within 120 days of the filing.

Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Options

You can use any court approved counseling service for these two courses. Most counseling services have the same basic fee. So shopping around is not that helpful.

As these companies are non-profit, they do waive fees in some situations. However, the companies that offer the courses set their own guidelines as to when they will waive their fee.

Typical Chapter 13 Attorny Fee (Not this firm)

Chapter 13 attorney fees are guided by the 'Presumptively Reasonable Debtor’s Attorney’s Fees' set by the court. Attorneys are encouraged to offer lower fees, but are not required to justify fees unless charging more than the fees listed below.

1. $4,500 for all bankruptcy-related matters required for the successful confirmation and completion of a debtor’s case

2. $1,800 to $2,500 for mortgage modification

3. Up to $50 additional monthly monitoring fee after the plan has been confirmed

4. Additional fees for representation in adversarial proceedings

Typical Chapter 7 Attorney Fee (Not this firm)

Unfortunately very few law firms are willing to list the attorney fee for a chapter 7 online.

One Kissimmee area firm lists $1,200 to $1,500 for "Basic Cost"

Another firm collects $430 upfront and then payments totaling $1,400.

Payment Options for This Firm

The attorney fee does not need to be paid all at once. After the initial payment of $50, you can make flexible payments. The payment amount and frequency is based on your budget. Together we can workout what is affordable for your family.

The fees paid do not expire. They are held in a client trust account until you are ready to file. Should you change you mind about filing before the case is filed all but the 1st $50 will be refunded to you.

Discounts for Low Income

If you earn less than $2,000 per month (based on 6 month average), the attorney fee for a chapter 7 is reduced to $400.